Affiliates drop TV show

[Kyyle23]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/05/t...reut/index.html

 

LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- NBC affiliates in Arkansas and Indiana are turning the page on upcoming series "The Book of Daniel," which has been drawing criticism for its portrayal of Christianity.

 

The series depicts an Episcopalian minister, played by Aidan Quinn, struggling with an addiction to Vicodin, among other problems in his diocese. Jesus is actually a character on the series, depicted in imagined conversations with the minister.

 

Last month, the conservative American Family Assn. began calling on affiliates and advertisers to bail out of "Daniel." Many stations have been flooded with e-mails and calls from viewers objecting to the series.

 

KARK-TV in Little Rock, Arkansas, and WTWO-TV in Terre Haute, Indiana, announced Wednesday they would pre-empt "Daniel," when it premieres Friday at 9 p.m. Both are owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group.

 

KARK-TV declined to air "Daniel" citing "careful consideration" of viewer feedback. Little Rock's WB affiliate, KWBF-TV, will air "Daniel" instead.

 

However, WTWO general manager Duane Lammers said he is not pre-empting "Daniel" due to its content but rather to protest what he views as the networks' strong-arm approach to affiliates, as well inconsistent federal oversight of indecent content.

 

"This has nothing to do with the program and has nothing to do with the AFA," Lammers said. "I think the system is screwed up. I think the network thinks we are going to do whatever they tell us to do. I think the regulatory environment is flawed."

 

The network stands by the series, according to Vivi Zigler, executive vp current programming at NBC Entertainment, who cautioned not to judge the series on the basis of promotions for the show.

 

"People are reacting based on not having seen it," she said. "They're seeing the advertising, not seeing what the core of the show is."

 

Jack Kenny, executive producer of "Daniel," dismissed claims that the series is anti-Christian. "We are not in any way satirizing Christianity or Jesus," he said. "It's done with love, honoring those things."

 

Other affiliates have wrestled with the decision to run the show.

 

"There's been an enormous amount of discussion about the show," said Steve Poulsen, VP marketing at KSL-TV, NBC's affiliate in Salt Lake City. "This one happens to have religious overtones to it and is causing a little stir. We determined on this one to let the viewers determine the success or failure of this show."

 

KSL, which caters to a heavily Mormon viewership, has not been shy about joining the small group of stations that have pre-empted NBC programming in the recent past. Among the NBC series that have been yanked in recent years, include "Coupling," "God, the Devil and Bob," and "Stressed Eric."

 

Lammers, who also serves as executive VP and chief operating officer of WTWO parent company Nexstar Broadcasting Group, is known for taking aggressive stands on behalf of his company. He pulled multiple Nexstar-owned stations off Cox Communications and Cable One cable systems for most of 2005 in order to negotiate cash for carriage -- an unprecedented arrangement. Both operators settled with Nexstar late last year.

 

WTVO, which is the 150th-largest television market in the U.S., will air the film "Simon Birch" instead of back-to-back episodes of "Daniel."

 

If you dont like it, change the channel. Dont deprive others of watching something because you dont agree with it.

 

aaahhhhh censorship

[southsideirish71]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/05/t...reut/index.html

If you dont like it, change the channel.  Dont deprive others of watching something because you dont agree with it.

 

aaahhhhh censorship

 

Just like Southpark. I fully expect that the religious factions would protest these items, just like other groups protest tv shows because it offends their cause. But I dont expect TV entities to pull it off the air. If someone doesnt like it, turn the channel.

 

They need to be a bit stronger than this.

 

I suspect that Anti-Ninja activist were the reason that my favorite show "The Master" was killed in 1984. What happened to Max Keller, did he become a ninja, did he pick up girls in his pimped out A team rip off van. Why didnt his hamster escape considering it was running loose in the van. I was robbed of my answers. Damn anti-Ninja facists.

For all those who are too young to remember the Ninja show movement of the early 80's

 

Edited January 5, 2006 by southsideirish71

[CanOfCorn]

Alrighty then, Mr. General Manager of WTWO in Terre Haute. If you think the network is strong arming you...stop being an affiliate.

 

 

AND, God forbid a minister or any man/woman of God has problems like everyone else. They might be a vessel of God...but they aren't God, people.

[mreye]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/05/t...reut/index.html

If you dont like it, change the channel.  Dont deprive others of watching something because you dont agree with it.

 

aaahhhhh censorship

Who are you talking to? The AFA? That's their point. It's called boycotting, not censorship. They don't have the direct power to take it off the air. Am I missing something?

 

How come it's OK for a Union to strike, or lefties to march against...well, just about everything, but it's censorship when a religious group speaks out against a TV show?

[Rex Kickass]

It's totally fine. Just stupid.

[Rex Kickass]

They could also choose to not watch the TV show. I'm not a fan of pressure on affiliates to drop programming. I'm a fan of pressure on advertisers to stop supporting programming. I'm a fan of encouraging people to not watch a station because of programming. But mostly, I'm a fan of watching "controversial" programming disappearing because its just so f***ing boring. My favorite was The Savage Nation! on MSNBC. It got the axe because he said something about I hope that gay person catches AIDS and dies or whatever. But it was gonna get the axe because it was flatlining in the ratings anyway, getting 0.1s. That's always more fun to watch.

[mreye]

They could also choose to not watch the TV show. I'm not a fan of pressure on affiliates to drop programming. I'm a fan of pressure on advertisers to stop supporting programming. I'm a fan of encouraging people to not watch a station because of programming. But mostly, I'm a fan of watching "controversial" programming disappearing because its just so f***ing boring. My favorite was The Savage Nation! on MSNBC. It got the axe because he said something about I hope that gay person catches AIDS and dies or whatever. But it was gonna get the axe because it was flatlining in the ratings anyway, getting 0.1s. That's always more fun to watch.

I think they can pressure whomever they feel like pressuring, but I get your points. I hear ya on "Savage Nation" - I never even heard of it until he said that s***.

[Kyyle23]

Who are you talking to? The AFA? That's their point. It's called boycotting, not censorship. They don't have the direct power to take it off the air. Am I missing something?

Easy Tiger. I know thats their point. I dont have to agree with it, do i? And no, you arent missing the point, Im just complaining about something like everyone else in the this forum

How come it's OK for a Union to strike, or lefties to march against...well, just about everything, but it's censorship when a religious group speaks out against a TV show?

 

 

What the AFA is doing is not direct censorship, its pressuring censorship which is annoying. Im just complaining because its groups like that that like to believe they know what everyone wants and needs to watch, which can lead to more of this type of action. It really sucks that some stations fold to this sort of pressure too, it just encourages the AFA to do it more aggresively.

Edited January 5, 2006 by kyyle23

[mreye]

Easy Tiger.  I know thats their point.  I dont have to agree with it, do i?  And no, you arent missing the point, Im just complaining about something like everyone else in the this forum

What the AFA is doing is not direct censorship, its pressuring censorship which is annoying.  Im just complaining because its groups like that that like to believe they know what everyone wants and needs to watch, which can lead to more of this type of action.  It really sucks that some stations fold to this sort of pressure too, it just encourages the AFA to do it more aggresively.

If it came across as an attack on you / yelling at you - it wasn't meant that way - I apologize.

 

I don't think it sucks that some stations fold. I think it's awesome. Power of the people!

[Rex Kickass]

Except usually, in these cases, its power of some people - and they usually aren't even in the local market.

[Kyyle23]

Except usually, in these cases, its power of some people - and they usually aren't even in the local market.

 

Well said Rex.

[mreye]

Except usually, in these cases, its power of some people - and they usually aren't even in the local market.

Some. All. One. What's the difference? A group is a group of "people", correct?

 

And why should it matter if they're in that market or not? If they're not in that market, why are these affilates removing it?

[vandy125]

Except usually, in these cases, its power of some people - and they usually aren't even in the local market.

 

If people want to see it so bad, why are they not taking that up with the stations as well? People try all the time to keep things on the air. Why is it bad when people try to get things off? Its supply and demand. People are demanding to keep this off the air. With South Park, there are more people who want it on the air. So, guess what, it's staying on the air. Its a matter of who voices their opinion, not censorship.

[Rex Kickass]

Some. All. One. What's the difference? A group is a group of "people", correct?

 

And why should it matter if they're in that market or not? If they're not in that market, why are these affilates removing it?

 

I don't know why, but it works sometimes. There's nothing I find more revolting than when I'm asked to participate in a direct action regarding something that affects a local market other than mine. I'm usually asked to pretend like I live in that town or state. I'm willing to guarantee that some of these stations were flooded by emails from "local" AFA members who didn't live anywhere close to the station signals.

[mreye]

6 stations have dropped it now.

[WCSox]

How come it's OK for a Union to strike, or lefties to march against...well, just about everything, but it's censorship when a religious group speaks out against a TV show?

 

[WCSox]

The Savage Nation! on MSNBC. It got the axe because he said something about I hope that gay person catches AIDS and dies or whatever. But it was gonna get the axe because it was flatlining in the ratings anyway, getting 0.1s. That's always more fun to watch.

 

Michael Savage is an idiot. Why MSNBC even bothered with him is beyond me.

[Rex Kickass]

Because his radio show does well for some unknown reason.

[WCSox]

Because his radio show does well for some unknown reason.

 

Well, I guess there are a lot of bigots out there.

[Rex Kickass]

FOXnews story was talking about 8 affiliates that aren't airing the show - citing it being a negative portrayal of Christianity.

 

It also at the bottom of the story noted that the Episcopalian church, which is the denomination portrayed in the story, doesn't have a problem with it. In fact a diocese in California is attached to the show in an advisory capacity and says - something along the lines of although the message might be seen as mixed, we think its an awesome opportunity to talk about our faith.